Kanchanpur. The deadline for the return of prisoners and detainees who escaped from Kanchanpur jail during the Jenji protest has been set till this evening.

A meeting of the task force to search and arrest the absconding prisoners and detainees on Sunday gave a deadline to the absconding men, women prisoners and detainees to return to prison till five pm today. Earlier, the District Administration Office, Kanchanpur and the Prison Office had issued a notice to the absconding inmates and detainees to come in contact with them.

“Some inmates and detainees came into contact after the information was published,” said Ramdutta Joshi, acting prison administrator at the Prison Office, Kanchanpur. According to him, action would be taken against the prisoners and detainees who fail to return within the stipulated time limit as per the Prison Act-2079 BS and other prevailing laws. He said that action would be taken against those hiding, hiding or sheltering the absconding prisoners and detainees as per the prevailing law.

The prison office has also requested the family members, community, civil society organizations and stakeholders to hand over the absconding prisoners to the prison. According to Joshi, acting administrator of the prison, 478 prisoners had escaped on September 10. Of them, 116 prisoners and detainees are still absconding. Some of the escaped prisoners and detainees have returned to the jail on their own while some are being arrested by the police and handed over to the jail.